If you are a council member or officer, the SWHI offers a range of support services to help you provide the homes you need in ways that create communities and address the challenges you face. Just click here for more details.

Championing the South West's need for sufficient and sustainable homes for a successful regional economy

The South West Housing Initiative (SWHI) is unique in the UK – a partnership of the housing providers, housing and planning professions, employers, and employees in the seven counties of the South West, all geared to combating this region's housing crisis.

We strongly believe that, to maintain a vibrant and prosperous economy, those working in the region need to have an affordable home. For some years, we have had a housing crisis with not enough new homes being built, a growing affordability gap between average earnings and average house prices, and large number of under-used existing homes – including one of Britain's highest proportions of "second-homes".

So we work together to highlight the need to provide sufficient homes in sustainable communities as a key element in supporting the region's economy. We promote examples of best practice and are a source of advice and information for all those involved in providing or managing homes in the South West.

The latest in Summits organised by SWHI was in Plymouth and the City Council took the opportunity to launch their new Plan for Homes. >>

SWHI's All Party Parliamentary Group Meeting - 11/12/14

We are very pleased to announce that the next meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group will take place at The House of Commons, London, on 11th December, 2014 commencing at 12 noon and concluding at 2pm. Light refreshments will be available.The meeting is sponsored by Oliver Colville MP for Plymouth Sutton & Devonport and will be chaired by Wayne Morris, Chair of SWHI.

The meeting will address the link between housing investment and success of the economy in the southwest of England.